Eel attack at Stingray City, Grand Cayman

[outback]

I dived SRC back in 99 and was introduced to Psycho the moray. We were told during the dive briefing that morays are virtually blind, but had a good sense of smell. They like the squid that we were carrying in small tubs to feed the rays. Our briefing told us not to worry about the eel, but just to make sure we didnt dangle anything in front of it - dangling fingers look like a squid to an eel.

Our first sighting of Psycho was in between my buddies legs, heading north. To this day, I still havent seen anyone move so fast underwater. The trouble was, because the eel was already in between his legs, he couldnt close them, so had to fin with his legs apart... So moray and diver moved together in perfect synchronisation for a while. I must admit, I almost drowned from laughing so hard!!

However, Psycho was definitely habituated to divers - he came close and was not inclined to bite, even when he put his snout on my camera lens. It was difficult to get the shot, he liked to get in close. Though I must admit I was glad that I had the camera in between my precious flesh and those teeth....

 

[Ice9]

Please, please, do not go anywhere near this eel. I am so lucky that my kids weren't attacked. The injuries that it inflicted were incredible.

I have it on the highest authority that there have been
"numerous reports of moray eel attacks in recent weeks but no one
wants to talk to us about them".

Bigdasher

Is it this eel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7C4LSqgx04

 

[Drew Sailbum]

"numerous attacks in recent weeks" is hyperbole. There have been a series of well documented incidents over sevral years. If tourists of guides were getting picked off every week, there wouldn't be any way to conceal that.

Cayman does not have a rescue helicopter for medical evacuations at sea, nor is there a coast guard. Stingray stings or eel bites should received medical treatment and incidents requiring an ambulance to meet the boat should be called in to 911 via cell phone or VHF radio. Many operators report incidents first to their shop and then have the shop call 911.

I am not aware of any reporting requirement for marine injuries.


***edit for spelling... it's a VHF radio, not VHS!

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks Drew! I wondered about all that, but never been there, don't know that much about it all there. That's about what I'd expect anywhere around the Carib, Mexico, and Cent America - well across most of the world I suppose.

Two things to keep in mind:

(1) Dive, snorkel, swim, travel safely - and if there is any doubt about your host's actions, back off.

(2) When we leave the US, we leave the US.

 

[erparamedic]

You can teach almost any animal to associate people with food. I once trained a large aquarium snail to beg. I'd tap glass with ring, he'd race to the top corner to get ready. I'd come back in 5 minutes and feed.

Sorry, Don.... I know I'm off topic, but I've gotta say....

What on earth possessed you to "train" a snail?? You've gotta be really bored to even think about "training a snail"! It's gotta be funny to see it race to the top!! Did he beg too? LOL


All my "picking" done in good nature! I just found your post quite funny! LOL

 

[DandyDon]

Sorry, Don.... I know I'm off topic, but I've gotta say....

What on earth possessed you to "train" a snail?? You've gotta be really bored to even think about "training a snail"! It's gotta be funny to see it race to the top!! Did he beg too? LOL


All my "picking" done in good nature! I just found your post quite funny! LOL

Oh yeah, after I clicked the glass with my ring (which probably irritated the fish horribly), he'd race to the same spot on the surface and form a half funnel with his foot. I'd ask my visitors: "Wanta see my snail beg?" I just noticed him at the surface gathering duckweed with his foot, dropped some fish food in his open foot, clicked the glass, and after a few times - association stuck.

I've read of stranger things being done with flatworms. Teach some where the food will be, cut them in half, and the new animals all know already. :11:

 

[AggieDad]

Oh yeah, after I clicked the glass with my ring (which probably irritated the fish horribly), he'd race to the same spot on the surface and form a half funnel with his foot. I'd ask my visitors: "Wanta see my snail beg?" I just noticed him at the surface gathering duckweed with his foot, dropped some fish food in his open foot, clicked the glass, and after a few times - association stuck.

I've read of stranger things being done with flatworms. Teach some where the food will be, cut them in half, and the new animals all know already. :11:

It just doesn't take to much to amuse a West Texas Boy does it? For some reason it reminds of the line in the movie "Cars" when Towmater the Tow Truck says "I am happier that a tornado in a trailer park".

 

[erparamedic]

Oh yeah, after I clicked the glass with my ring (which probably irritated the fish horribly), he'd race to the same spot on the surface and form a half funnel with his foot. I'd ask my visitors: "Wanta see my snail beg?" I just noticed him at the surface gathering duckweed with his foot, dropped some fish food in his open foot, clicked the glass, and after a few times - association stuck.

I've read of stranger things being done with flatworms. Teach some where the food will be, cut them in half, and the new animals all know already. :11:

Don, you crack me up!

 

[Ram4wd]

We went diving to Stingray city about a year and a half ago. Being raised on a farm as a kid i learned early not to put my hands in places they dont need to be. Afterall, animals are animals. That said, i decided to take pics of other people feeding the stingrays. the rays seemed fine and tame. Then the DM started cradleing a small morey eel. there was a problem with one of the eel's eyes. It looked like a cataract. I think of that often and wondered how docile eels are. This thread help put things back in perspective.

As an aside we were in Nassau last October. We were advised to look at the sharks but not get close. Would you believe that two teenagers were trying to pet one? There were the obvious warnings and discussions after the dive but I am not sure it did any good.

 

[JackSpearo]

I was in stingray city last summer and met Psycho the eel. They told us there was a more aggressive eel named Psycho Junior. The DM coaxed him out and began to feed him with the bucket of squid, then he went by all of us with the bucket so we could touch the eel. The eel was unbelievably soft. I touched him as he came up in my face, then I put my hands behind my BC because I got nervous, he swam away. I have pics somewhere of it...I came back home and googled "stingray city psycho" and a lot of attacks came up...scary how much we all trusted the dive master, but I know, a wild animal is a wild animal...